Novato mourns girl, 12, struck down by SUV

Marianne Lambercht of Novato lays flowers at a roadside shrine on Friday, Sept. 28, 2012, where Hailey Ratliff, a 7th-grade student at Sinaloa Middle School was struck by SUV Thursday afternoon. Ratliff died later that night. (IJ photo/Robert Tong)

Novato mourned the death of a 12-year-old girl who was struck by an SUV while riding her bicycle in Novato on Thursday.

The girl was identified as Hailey Ratliff, a seventh-grade student at Sinaloa Middle School. An autopsy was planned for Friday, said Lt. Keith Boyd of the Marin County Sheriff-Coroner's Office.

At the crash site on Novato Boulevard near San Marin Drive on Friday morning, a memorial had been created with flowers, candles and stuffed animals. Dozens of people stopped by throughout the morning to pay their respects.

"It's just really sad," said Corbi Winkelmann, whose granddaughter attended school with Hailey. Community members were planning a vigil for 6:30 p.m. at San Marin High School.

The incident occurred at about 3 p.m. Thursday. The man driving the vehicle stayed at the scene, said Novato police Lt. Jennifer Welch.

The girl suffered major injuries and was taken to Novato Community Hospital in critical condition. Later, when she was stable enough to be moved, she was flown to Children's Hospital in Oakland, officials said. She died at about 5:30 p.m., Welch said.

The incident was under investigation, and police do not suspect intoxication as a factor. Novato police closed the road and diverted traffic while examining the crash scene.

Jordan Herbstman, 16, a Sandy Creek Way resident, said he was coming from the gym after school and had to park at San Marin High School because the road was closed by police. Walking home, he saw the accident scene with the girl's shoes, a backpack and various bicycle parts. He said the car that hit the girl was a GMC Yukon.

"I saw the car that hit her and the front was mashed in," he said. "It looked pretty bad and right now the cops are looking at all the stuff that's all over the ground."

The collision is under investigation by Novato police and the county sheriff-coroner's department. Novato police ask witnesses to call 897-4361.

"Counseling will be available for students and staff at the nearby schools," said Shalee Cunningham, superintendent of the Novato Unified School District. "Our heartfelt thoughts are with the family."

The incident happened within two miles of the site where Melody Osheroff, a fourth-grade student at San Ramon Elementary School, was fatally struck by a drunken motorcyclist on San Marin Drive in 2009.